Everyone else's "gris-gris" are easy to see: gods, governments, "good cops", whatever. No basis in rationality whatsoever, but they are "believed in" regardless. Some may even be helpful for some individuals to hang onto- others are neutral and some are decidedly harmful.
Some of my own are easy for me to see. I even have a medicine bag, for crying out loud- a physical "gris-gris". Although I don't believe it has any "power"- I see it as a scrap book in buckskin more than anything else. But it is what it is.
I also don't automatically discount sightings of Sasquatch as hoaxes or hallucinations or mis-identifications, and the same goes for UFOs. I could be wrong.
However, I also accept that everything I believe may be nothing but a gris-gris. So I try to dig into them to see whether they are or not. Maybe liberty really isn't good for humans. Maybe The State is necessary, and isn't always evil*. Maybe guns aren't useful tools, and unless you are a cop or in the military they just endanger innocent lives.
And maybe "borders" are necessary, even if Massively Big, Omnipresent Government, "taxation", and socialism are essential to maintaining and "defending" them.
If I'm wrong, I want to know.
But, I also don't constantly dwell on whether each thing I believe is a gris-gris. If new information crops up, I try to honestly evaluate it. I have changed my mind about many things over the years, when presented with a good enough argument. So far, each time I do, though,I move a little more toward liberty and eliminate more exceptions where government can hide. It has been a one-way process, going on my whole life. I used to hold some beliefs I ditched when exposed to new, more, or better information- or experience. It's why I used to be a minarchist, but am now an anarchist. I recognized some gris-gris I was holding to, and I tossed them aside. I can do without that extra weight. I'll bet you can, too.
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*Maybe a troll site- it's so absurd I am just not sure.
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All I know is that I automatically get my back up whenever somebody challenges my belief system. And, like you, if I'm wrong, I want to know -- so that defensiveness works contrary to what I want -- a form of cognitive dissonance. I want to know when I'm wrong, but I don't want you to tell me when I'm wrong.
ReplyDeleteJust because I'm anarchist does not exempt me from that wrong-headedness. Age seems to help. Although a kosher Israelite, it probably does me good to eat a little crow now and again.
Sam
>>> And maybe "borders" are necessary, even if Massively Big, Omnipresent Government, "taxation", and socialism are essential to maintaining and "defending" them.
ReplyDeleteSure...and after you figure that out that Nightmare, it'll be simple to see why others should do it!
I'm just trying to consider all the possibilities- especially when so many believe I'm wrong on certain things.
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